Blighted Icon Chestnut Tree Comeback on the Horizon


The American chestnut tree once dominated the American land- scape from Georgia to Maine, providing the raw materials that fueled our young nation’s westward expansion and inspir- ing writings by Longfellow and Thoreau. But by the 1950s, the trees, stricken by blight, were all but extinct. Now, after 30 years


of breeding and crossbreeding, The American Chestnut Foundation believes it has developed a potentially blight- resistant tree, dubbed the Restoration Chestnut 1.0. The group has adopted a master plan for planting mil- lions of trees in the 19 states of the chestnut’s original range. This year, volunteers in state chapters are establishing seed orchards that will produce regionally adapted nuts for trans- planting into the wild.


Solar Powered Capturing Energy from Asphalt Roads


Asphalt roads throughout the country are well known for soaking up the sun’s rays. Now, new piping technology from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in Massachusetts, is offering a way to trap heat and use it elsewhere, potentially transforming blacktopped streets into giant solar energy collectors. It works by using the sun-warmed asphalt to heat water pumped through tubes embedded a few inches below the road surface. This can help to cool asphalt by utilizing some of the heat that would have remained in the material to heat the circulating water to produce electricity. Researchers are testing different pipe materials and


conductive aggregates to add to the asphalt to improve heat absorption. Costs relative to potential returns have yet to be quantified.


Source: ForumForTheFuture.org


As a rule, we find what we look for; we achieve what we get ready for.


~James Cash Penney natural awakenings August 2013 13


ecotip


Wear It Well First Eat Local, Then Dress Local


Buying local isn’t just about food choices. In supporting commu- nity businesses and reducing our


ecological footprint, fiber is another important consideration, encompassing farmers that grow cotton and hemp or raise sheep for wool, fiber artisans and textile designers. The U.S. presently imports about 95 percent of Americans’ clothing, reports the Ecology Global Network (Ecology.com), with most manufactured in countries where sweatshops and human rights abuses are common. Polyester and nylon, the most commonly used synthetic fibers, are derived from pe- troleum and processed and dyed using synthetic, often toxic substances. According to a 2010 report by China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, the textile industry is that country’s third-worst polluter. The nonprofit Center for Urban Education about Sustain- able Agriculture’s (cuesa.org) Fibershed program raises public awareness of the issue in Central California. Robin Lynde, a shepherd, weaver and teacher at Meridian Jacobs Farm, in Vacaville, also sells yarn, fleece, felt, lambskin, hand-woven garments and blankets. “Fiber producers, users and designers may not know that there are sheep 10 miles away from them and they can get that fiber,” she says. Fibershed also promotes a Grow Your Jeans program, comprising area sourcing, dyeing and sewing of a limited run of jeans. While textile sustainability in any given region is developing, the organization recommends that residents mend, instead of discard, old clothes, swap clothing or buy used, while resisting marketing pressure to augment wardrobes every season to keep up with trends. Someday, we might be able to visit a nearby field where our clothing is grown. The Sustainable Cotton Project (SustainableCotton.


org), based in Winters, California, conducts a Cleaner Cotton program that helps conventional growers transition to more sustainable practices using non-GMO varieties and integrated pest management practices to more gently solve ecological challenges. A big part of the challenge is to get the word out. “To get cleaner cotton to a spinner, someone has to request it,” says Executive Director Marcia Gibbs.


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